


“Nakama”

by USS_Hannigram (uss_hilson), uss_hilson



Series: Realizations [2]
Category: Hannibal (TV), Hannibal Lecter Series - All Media Types
Genre: Anal Play, Anal Sex, Bisexual Male Character, Developing Relationship, Fellatio, M/M, Male Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-30
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-03-16 02:20:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 20,690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29074719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/uss_hilson/pseuds/USS_Hannigram, https://archiveofourown.org/users/uss_hilson/pseuds/uss_hilson
Summary: A sequel to “The Cooking Lesson”.  Will Graham and Hannibal Lecter have to learn to live with one another or live apart.
Relationships: Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter
Series: Realizations [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2128125
Kudos: 13





	1. The Morning After

Hannibal Lecter awoke in another’s bed for the first time in a decade and a half. The body beside him was softly snoring as the dog near his feet seemed to be in a catatonic state. “ _Ce sont les petites choses_ ” – **it’s the little things,** Lecter reflected. He’d never experienced true love before let alone love at first sight. Now, he found himself in Will Graham’s bed after being on both the receiving and the giving end of exceedingly sensual anal sex. He’d loved Graham from the beginning, but it took months for Will to convince him that Hannibal was truly more than just a friend.

A lasting side effect of his childhood trauma was that Hannibal never slept for more than six hours at a time, if that. Because he often awoke early (and perhaps in an effort to show his value), Hannibal decided to carefully leave the bed so that he could start on making coffee and breakfast. One of Will’s dogs, Hugo, followed Hannibal downstairs. The dog didn’t seem to need to go out but instead was content to reside near Hannibal’s legs wherever he should go.

After making himself a coffee in which he added some heavy whipping cream, Hannibal looked around the sparce kitchen. The apron was still on the floor near the butcher’s block, discarded during the men’s passionate fervor. Hannibal would drive into Baltimore today and, after dropping Will off at the FBI Field Office, would contact forensic cleaners who would professionally remove the blood and crime debris from his office. Additionally, Hannibal could call in a reservation to a local bistro to treat Will and thank him for his hospitality. Despite his romantic feelings for Will, Hannibal was still determined to be a gracious guest.

Hannibal put two slices of last night’s tart onto a baking sheet, sprinkled them lightly with water, and warmed them up in the oven. He would usually eat a much healthier breakfast, but this was akin to being on vacation. He was close to finishing his own slice when he heard Will’s feet cause the wooden boards in the bedroom to groan. Soon enough, Will came downstairs with a parade of dogs following him. “Bathroom, boys.” All of the dogs, even Hugo, whom had been keeping Hannibal company, trotted out of the front door. Will stepped out to fill nine dog bowls before stepping back into the house. All that he had on were a pair of jockey shorts, and it was obviously a bit chilly outside.

Hannibal set the second piece of warmed tart on a plate and poured Will a cup of coffee. “Good morning, Will,” Hannibal smiled, holding out a plate and mug to Will, “how did you sleep?”

Will met Hannibal with a sleepy smirk, wiping the sleep out of his eye. “Surprisingly well, thank you.” He took a sip of his coffee as Hannibal topped off his own mug. “Mmm, this is great.”

“I am very particular on how I will drink my coffee, and via French press is one of the acceptable ways. I hope you don’t mind leftovers for breakfast, but your cupboards were unsurprisingly bare.”

Will had taken a bite of his tart. “ _Unsurprisingly_?” he asked.

“Yes. You are the first to admit that you wallow in the mud of bachelorhood. I know that you have a tendency to drink gas station coffee and eat convenience store danishes.”

“Well,” Will began, cutting off another bite of tart, “we can’t all make our own sausages and cook every meal. Honestly, I’d think that you’d get tired of cooking all of the time, especially since it’s just you.”

Hannibal furrowed his brow. “On the contrary, as I told you at the start of the first meal we ever shared together, I’m very careful about what I put in my body.”

“You weren’t last night,” Will teased.

“Technically,” Hannibal began, placing a kiss on Will’s forehead, “you did the insertion. I myself put nothing but food in my body, at least not until we got upstairs and into bed.” Will blushed as Hannibal smiled to himself, remembering the taste of Will in his mouth.

Will shook his head as he popped the last bite of the tart in his mouth. “I give it 72 hours tops before everyone in my office knows at this rate.”

“Only if you insist upon telling them.”

“ _Hannibal_.”

“I am a bastion of discretion. Why do you think I have such a rigorous practice?”

“Because you’re good.” Will saw Hannibal’s grin widen. “As a therapist, I meant. Although I’m not complaining about your attentiveness in the bedroom, either.” Will set his plate and mug down as he stood up and wrapped his arms around Hannibal. “Speaking of which, how are you… feeling after last night?”

“Physically or emotionally?”

“Physically.”

“Other than some residual stiffness from my unexpected fight earlier in the day, I am quite well. In fact, I am certain that I would entertain a repeat of last night’s activities if you were so inclined.”

“You’re going to make it impossible for me to concentrate on work today.”

“And to think that Jack said that I may have to stay with you for a week or more.”

“Good thing the weekend is upon us.”

“Or, you could just call off for the next week. We could spend our days hiking with the dogs, listening to music, and cooking. We could spend our nights in your bed, or kitchen, or wherever you’ll have me.”

Will could feel himself getting aroused at the mere suggestion of fucking Hannibal in every room of his house, but he **had** to get to work. He broke away from Hannibal, grabbed his coffee, and drained it. “Listen, Jack said that I could come in late and leave early depending on your schedule, but I _do_ have to get to work.”

“ _And yet I thought that you were specifically directed to stay atop me,_ ” Hannibal purred.

“Hannibal, you… **know** that isn’t what Jack meant! In fact, Crawford would probably flip if he knew what we did last night.”

“And what we plan on doing tonight. Perhaps this morning, too, if you’d like.”

“I’ve got to get to work! Now stop!” Will noticed the grin slip off of Hannibal’s face. “It’s been… too long, so I won’t be able to stop myself if you get me started. Let me build up my reserve throughout the day, and I promise that you’ll get my full attention tonight.”

Hannibal smiled. “Then you’d best get dressed. While you’re upstairs, I’ll call the cleaning company so I can meet them at my office after I drop you off.”


	2. A Picnic  Lunch

Will had dressed for work, nearly forgetting his badge before heading downstairs and letting the dogs in. Soon enough, Hannibal was taking the expressway for the hour-long commute to the Baltimore, Maryland FBI Field Office. “I really am surprised that you drive this route every day, Will. Imagine how much time you lose each week.”

“Over 10 hours, except for the times where I’m stuck traveling to Minnesota or some other distant location. But then, I normally stay in a motel near the crime scene, so my commute is negligible.”

“That’s quite the pragmatic view,” Hannibal replied, catching a view of Will out of the corner of his eye while he was focused on driving. Hannibal Lecter was an extremely safe driver. “Overall, however, I would imagine that you are ultimately spending more on gas and eating out than you would be if you lived closer to the office.”

“Maybe, but the dogs and I enjoy the fresh air and open space that Wolf Trap provides. Besides, I appreciate the distance I’m able to give the dogs. Imagine if someone came looking for me and found out that I had them – they’d be targeted. They were all strays before I found them, and I never want them to be deserted or harmed again.”

“That is a very noble aspiration.”

“Thanks,” Will grinned. Hannibal knew that the way to Will’s heart was through his dogs; however, Hannibal was surprised that Will’s dogs liked him. He’d heard that dogs could detect killers and would anger and act up upon meeting one. Apparently, Hannibal’s sheep’s clothing was more convincing than he’d originally thought. In fact, Hugo, Will’s White German Shepherd, seemed absolutely smitten with him.

~~~~

The men enjoyed some music as Hannibal drove to Will’s office. Soon enough, they were at the FBI. “Thanks for the ride,” Will mentioned.

“It was my pleasure. I will probably be in my office until the cleaners arrive and perhaps while they work. My suspicions are that I’ll lose one – if not two – rugs. If that’s the case, I might peruse the local antique shops. I know of a dealer, a Mr. Laverne, who specializes in Persian rugs.”

“The life you lead, Hannibal… you amuse me. But, are you sure that you’ll be safe without me?”

“I am fairly certain. However, to assuage your fears, I can text you throughout the day to inform you of my location and exploits. Shall I swing by and pick you up for lunch? I know of a nice, quiet spot – ”

“No. No thanks,” Will cut Hannibal off as he stepped out of the Bentley. He saw Hannibal’s face drop. “It’s not – it’s just with everything going on, and I know I was your protection detail yesterday, but I’m sure I’m behind on the latest. Besides, you know what a task master Jack is.”

Hannibal smiled tersely. “But of course. Enjoy your day, Will, and I’ll be in touch.” Will closed the door and watched as Hannibal drove off.

“Hey, there you are!” exclaimed Zeller. “How’s Hannibal holding up?”

“He’s… fine,” Will replied. Zeller, Price, Katz, and Crawford were all standing around a metal dissection table which held Franklyn Froideveaux’s body, covered with only a sheet.

“Jack said you were letting him stay with you. Wouldn’t he prefer to be in a fancy hotel?” Price asked.

“Speaking on behalf of my superiors and those in the budget department, I can safely say that the FBI appreciates Will’s hospitality. I don’t think I could justify $300 a night just because Dr. Lecter prefers imported mints on his pillow.” Jack smiled. “But, it appears that Budge was a loner whose only real friend of note was Mr. Froideveaux, and whose neck he seemingly snapped like a green bean.” Jack motioned toward the lifeless body.

“Gotta give it to Budge though, the man did it with an almost surgical accuracy. Then again, I suppose string players have got to be good with their hands, right Bev?” Zeller gave Beverly a suggestive look.

“Hey, we haven’t even gone out yet!”

“But I thought you said that you played violin in high school?” Price chimed in. “Surely, Bernie is willing to help you get back into practice.”

“Alright, enough,” Jack boomed. “What I’d been _wanting_ to tell Will is that while the Bureau’s pocketbook appreciated his generosity towards Dr. Lecter, we’ve checked out both Budge and Froideveaux and have not found any evidence to give us any indication that anyone else will be looking to find and harm Dr. Lecter or any of the BSO members. In fact, I’ve already alerted Dr. Resin and he was ecstatic. I thought about calling Dr. Lecter, but I figured that I’d give you the courtesy of sending him back to his own home, away from Wolf Trap.”

“Already?” Jack, are you sure, it’s only been a day. Not even a day. The men hadn’t even shown up at Hannibal’s at this time yesterday.”

“Will, I know that Hannibal’s your friend, and I know that you’re concerned for him, but it’s safe. Trust me. While you took care of Hannibal last night, the rest of us – along with a team of extras I’d offered overtime to – made quick work of questioning friends, family, and coworkers. In fact, speaking of string players, I pulled quite a few strings since we’re so fond of Hannibal and he’s helped us out so much.”

“Yeah, Jack even let us snoop through Tobias Budge’s shop. The sicko was making his own strings from gut,” Jimmy added.

“And we’re pretty sure they weren’t from cats, either,” Zeller added.

“What a sicko,” Beverly commented. She’d been looking at Will in such a way that he felt like she somehow knew what he and Hannibal had done together the night before. In fact, Will felt as though everyone’s eyes were on him.

“Well, that’s great. That’s great news that we know that Hannibal’s safe. And the orchestra, too. Sorry I wasn’t able to actually help last night, but as you can imagine, Hannibal was a bit shook up.”

“Yes, we’re all certain that you had your hands full with Dr. Lecter, Will. Thanks again,” Jack replied.

“I’m betting that you’ll be happy to get him outta your house. I mean, I’m a bit of a slob, and having someone as prissy as Hannibal around would probably make me pull out my hair,” Zeller commented.

“Yeah, Will, what was it like anyhow?” Beverly asked.

“It was… he insisted that we stop at a gourmet shop where he spent almost $300 for one night of groceries, including some salami which he fed to my dogs. Needless to say, the dogs seem to have taken a real liking to him.” Price and Zeller laughed, and Beverly had started to smile before she felt her cell phone buzz from a text. She picked up her phone, smiled, and started texting.

“Is that Bernie?” Jimmy asked, smiling.

“Actually, yes, it is. He’s super happy that the BSO isn’t in harm’s way, and he’s asked me to their next performance.”

“A date?” Jimmy asked.

“The Pacini?” Will sounded disappointed.

“Yeah. What’s wrong, you don’t like him?”

“No, that’s not it, it’s just that he’d offered me tickets and I was looking forward to going.”

“Well, I’m sure he still plans on giving you tickets. I mean, he gets free seats since he’s on the board anyhow. Who you gonna take?” Bev asked.

“Oh, I figured I’d just go with Hannibal. You know he loves stuff like that. I figured I’d either ask him or you, but it sounds like you’ll probably end up with good seats now anyhow.” Will hoped that mentioning asking Bev to go with him would throw off any suspicions anyone might have had.

“Aww, Jimmy, perhaps we should go, too! It could be like a group date!” Zeller joked.

“Please, I can _still_ pull in better-looking guys than you, Brian Zeller! And I doubt that Hannibal’s desperate enough to consider Will.”

“Hey!” Will exclaimed. “Hannibal loves spending time with me!”

Thankfully, Jack had already left the room after telling Will that he no longer had to play host to Hannibal. Unfortunately, Alana had shown up behind Will. “Sometimes, I think a little too much!” she added, butting into the conversation.

“What’s that mean?” Will asked suspiciously, turning around to address her.

“Just that you both could use a good night out with someone. Maybe a date. Go somewhere.”

“Do you… want to date Hannibal?” Will asked cautiously.

“Well, I wouldn’t say no if he asked me out for dinner.” Alana smiled, her eyes twinkling.

“You’ve gone over to dinner at his place plenty,” Will countered.

“Okay, but so have you.”

“And so has Jack,” Will countered again.

“Sounds like we’re the losers, boys,” Beverly quipped to Price and Zeller. “I think we’re the only ones who haven’t had one of Hannibal’s fancy dinners.”

“Will, how is he?” Alana asked, a hand on Will’s arm, steering the conversation toward her own interests.

“He’s… fine. His face looked a bit rough with some bruising, and his lip was split open. He told me that he slept well enough though, despite my – ” he stopped himself, “dog snoring. I let the dogs sleep wherever they want. I’m pretty sure Buster adores him.”

“Aww, poor Buster. He’s such a cutie.”

“How many strays do you have now, Will?” Beverly asked.

“Dogs? I have nine.” Will considered that he had 10 strays, but only nine of them were dogs.

“Is Hannibal at his office today? Maybe I should go and check on him,” Alana considered aloud. It seemed as if Hannibal’s near brush with death had ignited a spark of interest in Alana towards her former professor.

“Actually, he told me that he had plans. In fact, I even asked him if he wanted to grab lunch, but he said he had a lot to do,” Will lied, “I don’t think he’ll be seeing patients for a while.”

“Oh well… okay. Tell him hi for me and let him know that I’m always here for him if he needs me.”

Will smiled tersely. “I will.” It was his second lie in so many minutes, and both involved Hannibal. Will had only just realized what his interest in Hannibal truly was and he wasn’t about to share his affections with anyone besides his dogs.

“Well, I have some files to review and then I have to see Jack. He had asked me to come in to see him so I’ll have to head over to his office before I head back to teach, but I hope you all have a good weekend.” Alana turned and headed towards Jack’s office, leaving Will and the science team in the lab. Will was relieved to be rid of Alana. He had paperwork to fill out on the BSO killer, but he was beginning to think that he should check in on Hannibal.

After making an excuse to leave the lab, Will pulled out his cell and ducked into an unused office. He tapped Hannibal’s preset on his favorites list. After just a ring and a half, he was connected. “Hannibal? Hi, it’s Will, how’s everything going?”

“The cleaners should be here soon. Unfortunately, the gentleman with whom I spoke stated that I would have to leave after they arrived and got set up.”

“Well, that’s actually what I wanted to talk to you about,” Will began, lowering his voice as he saw a woman in a skirt suit walk by. _Why was he feeling like he was asking out a hot girl on a first date? After everything he and Hannibal had done to one another last night, he should feel confident, not nervous!_ “I was hoping that I could take you up on your offer to go get lunch after all. Jack seems busy enough that he won’t notice if I slip out for lunch, so I figured I might as well seize the day.’”

“Indeed!” Will knew that Hannibal was smirking on the other end of the phone as he responded. “When shall I pick you up?”

“Let’s say 12:30? And, um, come to the front of the building.”

“You don’t want to be seen with me.”

“No, it’s not that, it’s just that Alana has been pestering me about you. Apparently, she’d like to date you.”

Will heard Hannibal chortle. “Alana has always been passionate but clueless. I’m firmly convinced that she’s been one kiss away from falling head over heels in love with me ever since she was my student.”

“And you?”

“I haven’t found a reason to manipulate her affections. She is a respected psychiatrist, but I’m afraid that I would lose my respect for her if I let her actively pursue me. I’d much rather respect her opinion than get involved with her intimately, even if I weren’t recently involved with you. I view her as a friend and colleague, that’s all. You are much different – you are special. You are unique.”

Will felt himself blush, and his confidence returned. “I’ll see you out front for lunch.” He ended the conversation and stepped out of the room with a smile on his face.

“What are you smiling about?” Will was face-to-face with Jack.

“Oh, uh, just… nothing.”

Jack narrowed his eyes. “You don’t normally smile when you’re in this building or anywhere near me, Will.”

“I… just set up a date for this weekend,” Will lied. A third lie involving Hannibal. He didn’t have a date. They were having lunch, but nothing more, at least not until later tonight.

“Getting out there?”

“Yeah, it’s been a while.”

“Have fun! Just remember to use protection.”

“Jack!”

“Hey, I’m just saying. I know I haven’t been on the market for hell, at least 20 years, but some truths are timeless.”

“‘Some truths are timeless’ – Jack, you’re beginning to talk like Hannibal!”

Both men laughed together. “Don’t you dare tell him, either. He’ll never let me live it down, especially not with my military history.”

“You were in the Army, right?”

“Yep. And stationed over in Italy is where I met Bella.” Jack’s usual harshness had melted into an aural smile that matched the expression on his face. Jack’s eyes took on a far away look. “She was gorgeous. She’s gorgeous now, even with… _despite_ the cancer, but the youth of her eyes and her lips, Will, if you can find someone that makes you feel the way Bella has made me feel this whole time, you’ll die a very, _very_ happy man.”

Will returned Jack’s smile and patted him on the arm briefly. “Give Bella my regards.” Jack thanked him and continued walking, making mental note that Will had never touched him before. _Maybe Hannibal was rubbing off on Will after all…._

Will went to his office to work on his part of the paperwork to wrap up the Tobias Budge file. While field work was always exciting, the paperwork afterwards – while safer – could be rather tedious. Thankfully, Will had been tasked with keeping watch over Lecter so while his skills certainly helped bring Budge to a weird sort of justice, Will’s own involvement in following up after the actual murder was not very intense when it came to writing a report. However, in working to finish his section about the BSO, Will lost track of time and was only reminded of such when his phone rang. He knew who it was without looking. “Hannibal, I’m sorry, I lost track of time!”

“Don’t worry. I’m waiting out front like you asked.”

Will grabbed his wallet and coat as he trotted toward the building’s front entrance. Parked a respectable distance away was Lecter’s Bentley. Without asking, Will already knew that Hannibal had parked this far away to avoid attracting the attention of any of Will’s coworkers, especially Alana. He smiled as he opened the passenger door and sat down. “Sorry again, I was trying to finish up a section in my report on Budge.”

“Think nothing of it. Buckle up and we’ll be on our way.”

“Where are we going?” Will asked.

“Well, you seemed reluctant to be seen lunching with me out in the public eye, so I packed us a picnic lunch. I am taking us to a nearby park.”

“Seriously?”

“Seriously,” Hannibal repeated, looking over at Will, smirking as they drove away from the FBI Field Office. “Have you ever been to Rockdale Park, Will?”

“I can’t say that I have.”

“Then it will be a first for both of us.”

It was a short six-minute drive north before they arrived at the park. “I’m surprised that it’s so deserted right now. It’s still lunchtime and at the very least, I would have expected a couple of mothers here with their infants and toddlers,” Hannibal remarked.

“I don’t know that many housewives want to take their kids to a park so close to the FBI, Hannibal. In fact, I’m fairly certain this park was just put in as a concession so that agents had somewhere nearby to eat their sack lunches before all the restaurants began popping up.”

“Given that there’s a playground set and a picnic pavilion, I’d think that the park would be quite popular, especially since it’s near an apartment complex and an elementary school.”

“I thought you said you’d never been here?” Will asked.

“I haven’t, but I drove past it when I was considering where to take you for lunch. You should know that I _always_ come to class prepared, Will.” Hannibal smiled at Will as he turned off the car and popped open the backdoor of his Bentley. He withdrew a picnic basket and a blanket. 

Will closed the door as he stepped out of Hannibal’s car. “You weren’t joking, were you? I can’t believe you put together a picnic lunch for me – _for us_.”

“Come, let’s set up.” Hannibal started off to a set of tall oak trees far away from both the jungle gym and the pavilion. It was shady and seemed a bit quieter than the rest of the deserted park. Hannibal handed one end of the blanket to Will as they unfolded it and set it on the ground. Both men sat on the blanket and Hannibal removed his shoes, setting them just outside the blanket’s edge. He began unpacking the basket. Grapes, raspberries, olives, crackers, a small tub of spinach artichoke dip, mozzarella balls, and ham slices were set in front of Will.

"Hannibal, this all looks amazing!”

“I’m glad that you approve. Ordinarily, I would have brought some wine with which to ply you, but since you’re working, I figured that Orangina would suffice." Hannibal poured them each a glass and grabbed out plates, cloth napkins, and some utensils.

“Hannibal, you didn’t go out and buy all this just today, did you?”

“Absolutely not. Of course, I had to pick up our lunch, but I always have a picnic basket at my office for days that I need a bit of fresh air. However, I am normally forced to dine alone. But perhaps that can change so that I’m accompanied for picnic lunches more often than not.” Hannibal grinned at Will as he popped a grape into his mouth. Yet again, Hannibal was feeding Will a healthier, better quality of food than he normally ate.

“People will start to talk if you pick me up for lunch too often.”

“I’ve very little regard for what others may say about me. Professionally my reputation speaks for itself. I am highly esteemed by my peers for my contributions to various psychological journals, and I received praise for all of the classes that I taught, both by my students and by my university administrators. Personally, I have a bevy of acquaintances in my various artistic circles. In fact, Mr. Budge had mentioned that he was intrigued with me and wished to become better acquainted after hearing Franklyn speak of me so often. Unfortunately, Franklyn seemed to get attached to every psychiatrist he had, and I’d been planning to transfer him to his eleventh doctor.”

Will raised his eyebrows as he held a cracker with spinach dip aloft. “Point taken. Meanwhile, I just have my dogs and an occasional visit from my neighbors once in a while.”

“And now you have me, although it’s up to you how often you see me.”

“You were right, it is deserted here,” Will changed the subject.

“It is.”

Will moved closer to Hannibal, flashing a winning smile as he grabbed Hannibal’s chin in his hand and brought their lips together. “I thought you were wary of being seen out in public with me,” Hannibal purred.

“I’m afraid of Jack finding out, and I don’t want to deal with Alana and her questions.”

“Neither of them is here right now.”

“No one is here right now.” Will let his other hand travel to Hannibal’s leg, allowing his fingers to travel up the length of Hannibal’s thigh as he squeezed it tightly. A slight gasp escaped Hannibal’s lips, hot air meeting Will’s. Will let his lips brush Hannibal’s, repeating, “No one is here right now.”

“Yes,” Hannibal could barely respond. His whole life was about control and appearances, but the moment he met Will, a certain amount of chaos and unpredictability had entered Hannibal’s life. Before yesterday, he had never expected to become intimate physically with Will (although they’d been intellectually intimate for months now). Currently, Will was making him hard in the middle of a public park where anyone could come upon them. Caught up in pure bliss, eyes closed, Hannibal felt Will’s hands working his trousers. Hannibal allowed his head to fall back as his hands braced themselves against the clothed ground, his hips pushed forward to allow Will access to…. “ _Will_ ,” he murmured in ecstasy as he felt Will’s lips envelope his hard-on. 

Will’s passion was of a voracious sort, and for someone who had never had a male lover, he was rather skilled at fellatio. Hannibal reached up with one hand and let his fingers run through Will’s hair. He hadn’t been expecting _this_ sort of lunch and it had been years since he’d had a lover besides Will. As such, Hannibal came much sooner than if he’d been able to mentally prepare himself. “Will!” Hannibal whispered loudly, his fingers entangled into Will’s hair, pulling.

Will raised his head up, smiling at Hannibal as he wiped his lips with the back of his mouth. “You’d best put yourself back together, Hannibal. I’ve got to get back to the office and I think I just heard a car pull up.”

Hannibal’s eyes grew wide as he fumbled with his pants. “Very well, let’s get going, if you’ll help me pack up?” Will helped Hannibal put the remainders back in the basket and the two men refolded the checkered blanket that Hannibal had brought. They started walking to Hannibal’s car as they saw two municipal workers approaching the pavilion with brown paper sacks. Hannibal smiled and nodded at the men. “Enjoy your lunches and thank you for your work.”

After they got back into Hannibal’s car, Will asked, “Why did you talk to those men? What if they saw us?”

“They didn’t, otherwise they wouldn’t have nodded and smiled at us in return. I’m surprised that you’re suddenly so concerned, Will. After all, you were the one who initiated my _dessert_.” Hannibal’s voice had taken on a seductive air.

Will blushed and looked out the window as Hannibal started the car and began pulling out of the parking lot. “I suppose I had a… moment of momentary weakness. I was… overcome with passion.”

Hannibal glanced at Will and smiled. “It would appear that we bring out the spontaneous and unexpected in one another, Will. And with this new development in our relationship, I am excited to see how we bloom and blossom for one another.”

“You’re always one step ahead of me, Hannibal. If I’m being honest, it frightens me, but I suppose I can handle it if we’re on the same side. Also, a bit off topic, but thank you for lunch. It was perfect.”

“I’m glad to hear it. And overall, it was rather healthy. I don’t always indulge in decadence.”

“But now I can’t help but wonder what you have planned for dinner.”

“I’d considered taking us to a local restaurant.” 

Will frowned. “It’s not that it doesn’t sound nice after the week I’ve had – the week we’re both had – but I’d rather dress a bit nicer if we plan on going out. You always look perfect, but in this, I’ll look like a heel in comparison. Could we just stay in tonight? Maybe have a light meal and curl up with the dogs? Besides, that will give your face a few more days to heal up. In the right light, it’s pretty obvious that you’ve been in a fight recently.”

Hannibal returned Will’s frown. “Perhaps Monday night, after work then?”

“That’d be a nice way to start the week.” They had arrived a short walk away from the front entrance of Will’s office. “And thanks again for lunch, Hannibal. Maybe you can return my affections tonight.”

Hannibal grinned widely. “I would love to do so. I’ll be back at 5:30 to pick you up unless I hear otherwise.”

“Sounds great.” Will left Hannibal’s car and returned to work with a smile on his face. Jack ran into him again and smiled inwardly, glad that Will was dating. Price and Zeller had noticed Will’s smile, too. They were working on a body found dumped in a parking lot. In talking with one another, they assumed that Will must finally be getting some action.

“Better to score pussy than hang with his dogs all the time, am I right?” Zeller held his hand up for a high five.

“Gross!” Price exclaimed. “You are _not_ getting any skin for that. Not all men want pussy, after all. God, I can’t believe I just said that word, ‘pussy’ – how vulgar!”

Zeller chuckled. “I hope you know by now how much I love giving you hell.”

“I know, but you’re still gross.”


	3. A Dinner Date

Hannibal arrived at the FBI Baltimore Field Office at 5:25 PM. He was always early to appointments. To arrive on time was to arrive late, and to arrive late was rude, and rudeness was unacceptable. At 5:32, Will exited the front of the building and began walking towards Hannibal’s car. “Hello, Will.”

“I hope I haven’t kept you waiting long.”

“Not at all.” Will buckled up, and Hannibal turned to look at him. “Are you sure that you want to eat in tonight? I’ve done a bit of research and have found several nice restaurants a bit closer to you. Most of them are in Vienna, near where we stopped at the deli.”

Will thought it over. It was clear that Hannibal really wanted to take Will out for dinner. Vienna was only 10 to 15 minutes away depending on which part of town they went to, and even if they split a bottle of wine, either of them could drive home on a full stomach. Will would just stay away from brandy or anything stronger. “Okay, but at least let me go home and change first. I dressed a bit hastily this morning after finally convincing you that I had to get to work, and I’d like to look at least a bit more presentable.”

Hannibal smiled. “That sounds wonderful. And we can feed the dogs and let them out so that Bugsby and Jerry won’t have any accidents.”

“Hannibal, that’s very thoughtful of you.”

“I am always thinking.”

~~~~

The men arrived at Will’s around 6:45 after fighting Friday rush hour traffic. Will showed Hannibal where he kept the dog food in the fridge so that he could grab a quick shower and change his clothes. Will made food for his boys instead of trusting store-bought food. Hannibal made sure to use his hands to scoop the raw meat blend into each of the dogs’ bowls so that they would grow to associate him with their biggest motivation – food. Afterwards, the dogs left their bowls to fertilize nearby trees as Hannibal washed his hands and splashed some water on his face. He’d purchased two new rugs from Mr. Laverne after he’d put together their picnic lunch. Of course, he was dressed as perfectly to go rug shopping as he was to go to Café Renaissance – most everything he had packed would be appropriate for both an antiquing trip and a quiet, sophisticated restaurant.

Twenty minutes later, Will came downstairs. He was in black slacks, a white button-down shirt opened at the collar, and a black blazer. It was obvious that he’d styled his hair because his curls seemed to glisten from the hair gel he used. “You look magnificent,” Hannibal commented.

Will blushed. “Yeah, I can clean up alright when I want.” He looked at Hannibal. Lecter was wearing fawn-colored slacks, a white shirt, and a dark brown blazer with matching vest. “And you look,” Will paused, feeling dizzy, the way one feels when one is falling in love, “perfect, as usual. You always look so… sophisticated.”

“Even with my bruises and scars?”

“Even with your bruises and scars.” Will approached Hannibal. “Especially with your bruises and scars. They make you look more masculine somehow.” Will leaned up to let his lips caress Hannibal’s cheek gently. “Does that hurt?”

“No.”

“See, you’re already feeling better after just a day with me and the pack.” Will began moving his lips towards Hannibal’s. “Imagine how great you’ll be feeling after a week or two here.” Will began to undo Hannibal’s belt.

“No no no. Not yet. We’ve got a 7:30 reservation and I know that whatever you’ve got in mind is going to take longer than 10 minutes.”

“You’re taking us to a place that takes reservations? It’s Friday night – even Wolf Trap is busy on Fridays. How did you manage to get us a reservation so soon?”

Hannibal gave Will a quick peck. “I made a reservation this morning when I was waiting for the cleaners to arrive. I had a feeling that I could convince you to take dinner with me tonight.”

“It’s funny, because after dealing with Jack and Alana today, all I wanted was a quiet night in, but now you’ve got me excited to go out. Yet again, Hannibal, you know me better than I know myself.”

“I’ve inquired, and I can promise you a quiet night. At least while we’re at dinner, anyhow. Now, let’s call the dogs back in and get going.”

Will had no clue where Hannibal was taking him, nor was he aware that Vienna was home to an upscale French restaurant, Café Renaissance. He kept looking around in awe at the restaurant and its patrons as he and Hannibal were being seated. The waiter brought their menus. “Hannibal, this is nice.”

“You deserve nice things. I told you that I am very particular about what I put in my body.”

Will’s eyebrows raised as he looked through the menu. “Everything sounds so good.”

“Should we start with appetizers?”

“I’m at a loss. Can we share something? You choose.”

“You focus on your main course and I’ll take care of the rest, Will.”

When their waiter came up, Hannibal ordered foie de veau aux pommes as their appetizer. 

“Would you like to put your main orders in now?”

“I’m ready,” Will spoke up.

“Then let’s start with you,” the waiter suggested.

“Thanks. I’d like the filet mignon, please.”

“Very good choice, sir. And for you?” the waiter turned towards Hannibal.

“Merci. Je voudrais la piccata de veau au citron, s’il vous plaît.”

The waiter was not fluent in French. “Excuse me, um, for your starter you would like the calf's liver with apples, and for your entrée, you would like the veal piccata with lemon?”

“Oui, yes.” Hannibal looked at Will and smirked. “I’m sorry, but I just had to show off to my nakama a little bit. We are very close.”

The waiter looked at the two men and smiled warmly. “Have you gentlemen been here before?”

“No, it’s our first time. I was hoping that you carried Overture, otherwise we’d love to see your wine list.”

“My apologies, but I’m still rather new. What vineyard is Overture from?”

“Opus One,” Hannibal replied.

The waiter’s eyes lit up in recognition. “Yes, we do carry Opus One. Would you like the listing?” The bottle retailed for $160, but the restaurant charged $220 a bottle. Many restaurants made a large portion of their profits from markups on spirits. Good wine vintages such as the Overture ’17 helped keep the lights on as well as put money in the pockets of the servers.

“No need. If you’ll uncork it for us, I’ll do the rest,” Hannibal suggested. The waiter was happy to oblige – Donovan Sims had only been working at the restaurant waiting tables for a month and a half now. He took a year between high school and college and was saving money for his first year’s expenses. Surely, the tip on this bill alone would buy at least one textbook if the older man tipped 20%. Donovan was surprised later when, after each man ordered a dessert, their $335 tab had a $135 tip added. Just over 40%! Donovan hoped that these men were local and that they enjoyed their experience enough to come back often. His friends teased him about working at a French restaurant, but he’d made more working this table than his friends would make working an eight-hour shift at McDonald’s. His friends would also undoubtedly tease him even more for serving this particular table – the men appeared to be more than just friends, just nakama – but again, Donovan was happy to see them. It was better than flipping burgers for strung out meth heads, and the men were both congenial.

“So, we’ve gone out tonight which means we’re spending tomorrow night in,” Will announced after Donovan had gone off to get their wine.

“That sounds reasonable.”

“And would you be up for taking a walk in the woods tomorrow?”

“Would it be akin to our picnic from earlier today?” Hannibal asked matter-of-factly.

Will blushed. “Hannibal….”

Hannibal raised his eyebrows in false confusion. “No one here knows what happened at Rockdale Park, Will. Just you and me. I assumed that you didn’t want me broadcasting to the world what you did to me.”

“ _Shh_ , Hannibal! Our waiter could come back with the wine any second.”

Hannibal turned his head. “And here he is – perfect timing!”

“Thanks,” Donovan replied. “Now, you said you just wanted me to open it and you would pour?”

“Precisely. Let me taste it first and then you can be on your way,” Hannibal explained.

Donovan uncorked the bottle and handed it to Hannibal. “For you, sir.”

Hannibal took the bottle and poured a small splash in each of the two wine glasses. He handed one to Will. “Do you remember what I suggested when tasting?”

“I do,” Will replied, taking the glass that Hannibal handed him.

“You’re not of legal drinking age yet, are you?” Hannibal asked the waiter.

“No. No, sir.”

“That’s too bad, otherwise I’d offer you a taste. Well, Will, looks like it’s more for us then. To us!”

“To us,” Will repeated, holding up his glass to clink Hannibal’s. Both men watched the dark red liquid in their glasses swirl around before bringing the glasses to their noses to inhale the wine’s scent. They both took small sips, the wine falling back over their rippled tongues. Hannibal brought his head forward and smiled. “What do you think, Will?”

“Mmm, it’s wonderful.”

“Perfect. And what is your name?” Hannibal asked their waiter.

“Donovan, sir.”

“Donovan, you chose an excellent bottle for us tonight, thank you.”

Donovan smiled. “Thank you, sir. Thank you both. May I pour you each a glass now or would you prefer I just return when your starter is ready?”

“Hannibal, let’s let Donovan pour for us. You normally pour for us, but let him take care of you,” Will suggested.

Hannibal smirked and tilted his head. “The boss has spoken, Donovan. Thank you.”

Donovan inclined his head and smiled gently. “My pleasure.” He poured wine for both men before stepping away from the table. “I’ll be back in a bit.”

Hannibal looked at Will and smiled broadly. “I am very satisfied at this moment.”

“I don’t ever think I’ve heard you say anything like that, Hannibal.”

“In my defense, I have generally tried to keep my personal life from my patients, even you.”

Will pursed his lips together. “You’ve brought up an interesting point though. If we’re going to be… us, I don’t know that you should be my psychiatrist anymore.”

“I do not plan to continue your therapy. However, at least until I can go back to my home and office, I do not plan on seeing anyone professionally.”

Will averted his eyes before taking a sip of wine. “I guess you’ll have to give me a referral then. Maybe I can go to your therapist.”

“I don’t think that’s a wise idea, Will. Besides, my psychiatrist only sees me, remember?”

“That’s right. And that’s odd.”

“I also do not think we need to recreate our previous conversation on this topic. Besides, it appears that Donovan is coming back with our appetizer.”

Indeed, Donovan had the liver and apple starter with two small plates for them. “Here we go, gentlemen. When your entrees are done, I’ll come back and get these plates out of your way. Before I go though, can I do anything else for either of you?”

“I’m very well at the moment. Thank you, Donovan. And you, Will?”

Will seemed preoccupied by his previous conversation with Hannibal. “No, I’m fine. Thanks.”

“Bon appétit, gentlemen,” Donovan commented before making himself scarce.

“Après vous. After you, Will.”

Will grabbed his knife and fork before grabbing some of the dish to place it on his small plate. “Now, what is this again?”

“Calf’s liver with roasted apples. I must admit to enjoying liver and veal quite a bit. They may even be a bit of a guilty pleasure.”

Will smirked. “I generally don’t eat veal or liver, but you’ve been expanding my horizons quite a bit lately.”

“Never venturing out of one’s comfort zone leads to a banal life, Will. I try to always broaden my horizons when an opportunity to do so presents itself.”

“And just think, you were going to stay at some fancy hotel instead of my Podunk town. I know my place isn’t nearly as glamorous, but I hope you’ve been enjoying yourself.”

“I have certainly enjoyed your company and that of your dogs. I’m looking forward to our hike tomorrow, too.” Hannibal knew what to say to make Will smile, and Will did not disappoint.

Will looked at Hannibal and shook his head.

“And just what are you thinking of?”, Hannibal asked.

“It’s just, well… I can’t really remember the last time that I went out on a date. I mean, I know with you staying at my place this isn’t really a completely traditional date, but it works for me.” Will took a long sip of his wine.

“I have no complaints, either.” In Hannibal’s mind, he and Will weren’t dating – **they were together**. After they finally succumbed to the intense sexual tension between them, they just were. They were together, as if they were a pair of bonded eagles. They would be together until one of them died. Hannibal had to admit to himself that while he feared that his love for Will would be the death of one or both of them, he had recently found himself in a better place psychologically.

Hannibal would never admit it to anyone else except for maybe his own psychiatrist, Dr. Du Maurier, but he was a rather moody individual. Much of it stemmed from the trauma he endured as a child, seeing and experiencing things that no child should be forced to see and endure, not the least of which was losing his beloved sister, Mischa. As a grown man who had accumulated a lifetime of memories and experiences since losing his sister, Hannibal found that a large percentage of his ill-temperament centered around Will. If Will were upset, if Will were angered, if Will were perturbed or disturbed…. Hannibal worried about Will considerably. Hannibal also detested when Will’s mind was elsewhere…. When Will spent considerable time in the presence of others, or when he talked too much of others. These particular realizations were realizations that Hannibal would only admit to himself. He was not particularly proud of them; he acknowledged that his need to possess Will was toxic and destructive, but since losing his beloved sister to destructive acts, Hannibal was unable to love in any other way. He was flawed, his love destructive, his desire toxic. But, to know one’s own true self was one of life’s greatest gifts, and that knowledge eluded many.

Donovan brought out their main courses. Hannibal’s veal and risotto delighted him. “Here, I insist, Will. Just try a bite.” Despite confessing to Hannibal earlier in their meal that he wasn’t much into veal, Will gave into Hannibal’s insistence.

Will nodded as he chewed. “It is good; however, I’ll never say no to filet mignon. I’m afraid that I’ve always been a meat and potatoes sort of guy, Hannibal, even though I do enjoy your adventurous palate.”

Hannibal chuckled under his breath. While he knew that Will was referring to his taste in food, Hannibal’s sexual openness was not only obviously appreciated by Will but had helped Will expand his own sexual palate.

“Would you like a bite of mine?” Will asked. Caught replaying their sexual exploits in his head, Hannibal smiled. He would love to taste Will in his mouth right here at this moment, but such acts were frowned upon, even in French restaurants. Hannibal, in his darkest, most possessive moments, had already thought about consuming several choice parts of Will Graham’s body, but while things between them were good, he was able to keep those dark thoughts at bay.

“Please, thank you.” Will cut a piece of meat and offered Hannibal his fork. Hannibal held the fork up to inspect the meat before popping it into his mouth. Indeed, it was delicious. However, for Hannibal, the more exotic, dangerous, or rare a food was, the more he valued it. While filet mignon was usually only served at better restaurants, it was far from exotic in Hannibal’s world.

Hannibal poured them each another glass of wine, finishing the bottle as they finished their dinners. “Have you saved room for dessert?” he asked Will.

Will let his eyes grow wide. “Ordinarily, I would stop myself, but everything here has been so good so far that I’d be remiss if I didn’t say yes to dessert!”

“And almost on cue, here comes Donovan! Donovan, everything has been perfection thus far, but can we see your desserts, s’il vous plait? Please?” Hannibal had a penance for slipping French into his speech when he had been drinking and was relaxed.

“Actually, I have committed our current selections to memory. We have a gluten-free flourless chocolate cake, a limoncello cake, mini lemon madeleines, and a crème brûlée cheesecake with a sour cherry compote.”

Will spoke up with amusement in his voice. “Oh, I love cheesecake!”

“Okay,” Donovan smiled, “we have one cheesecake, and for you?” he turned to Hannibal.

“Make that two cheesecakes,” Hannibal replied.

Donovan left and returned a few minutes later with two plates of cheesecake. “Gentlemen, enjoy. I don’t want to rush you, so take your time and I’ll stop by in a bit with your bill.”

“I could give you my card now if you’d like,” Hannibal offered. He liked Donovan; he was young but respectful.

“No need to delay your dessert. Enjoy!”

Will was astutely aware of Hannibal’s courtesy to the young man. He had always wondered how Hannibal would treat waitstaff, and he was happy by what he’d seen. Will worked minimum wage service jobs when he was younger, but he could not see such a thing being part of Hannibal’s background. Oftentimes, those who had the luxury of avoiding such jobs treated those doing such as less than. Of course, such behavior was rude, and Hannibal abhorred rudeness.

“Would you like to try my dessert, Will?” Hannibal asked after pulling his spoon from his lips.

“Hannibal,” Will laughed, “we ordered the same dessert!” He wasn’t used to Hannibal’s jovial side.

“I know, I just thought that I’d offer. Maybe mine has a more intense cherry flavor.”

Will shook his head. “I doubt it, and besides, I don’t think mine will last much longer so I wouldn’t be able to offer you a sample of mine in return.”

The men finished their dessert and wine, talking as freely as any of the other couples in the restaurant. Neither man had performed such an act – going on a date – in so long that such a normal thing seemed extraordinary to them both. It was this shared uniqueness that brought them closer, causing Hannibal to become more obsessed with Will. He wanted **all** of Will, he wanted to **be** all for Will, in part because Will was the **only one** who could truly understand him. If not for Will’s extreme empathy, they might not have ever come together. Very few people had ever noticed how emotional, how close to weeping, Hannibal often was when he was discussing his sister, a memory, or something else important to him. Memories were very important to Hannibal because the best times in his life were when his mother, father, and sister were all with him. He’d started his life feeling normal, but after his immediate family were all gone, Hannibal never felt whole, normal, or right again. Most people are expected to be a certain way. Hannibal did not naturally blend in with society, but he was smart enough to realize its importance and savvy enough to know how to act the part. Hannibal was wonderful at blending in. He was a true chameleon despite never veering from his true inner nature.

After they finished their dessert and Hannibal paid the bill, the pair went back to Will’s. 

“Thank you again for giving me the pleasure of your company tonight, Will.”

Will smirked. “You’re quite welcome. Perhaps to make it up to me, you can suck me off when we get home.”

Hannibal had been driving, but he looked over at Will as they were nearing a stop sign. “I think that can be arranged.” He let his right hand reach out and find Will’s leg.

“Well, I wasn’t thinking right now. We get caught having pulled off somewhere when we’re so close to home and I’ll never live it down.”

“Ah, yes, we must keep up the appearances of just being nakama – _just_ intimately close friends. To the outside world, neither of us is in a relationship, and even if we were, it would have to be with a woman.”

“Wait, am I not your first….” Will’s question trailed off.

“Indeed, you are not. I told you before that you were not my first male sodomy partner. In fact, I spent a great portion of my youth overseas, especially in France and Italy.”

Will sniffed. “Well, I suppose we’ll be home soon enough anyhow.”

“Don’t be unreasonable with jealousy over something neither of us can control, Will.” Hannibal looked over at the other man who was currently looking out of the window, pouting. “Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would meet someone like you. For what it’s worth, I doubt that I’ve always been this polished and charming, so it’s for the best that you came into my life when you did.”

Will looked at Hannibal, considering his words. “And vice versa, although working for Jack, I’m probably more of a wreck in certain aspects now than I had been in my twenties.”

Hannibal laughed. “I can only imagine what you were like in your twenties. As for me, I was too busy spending my time in museums and universities.”

“Of course you were! That’s you to a tee.”

“I have much more free time nowadays, so consider yourself lucky. Now, I have more time to focus on you.”

“And my dogs,” Will goaded Hannibal jokingly.

“And your dogs. Especially Hugo and Buster.” Hannibal pulled his Bentley into the dirt path that comprised Will’s driveway. He drove up the path but held back approximately one-third the length of the drive to Will’s house. Hannibal put the car into park and pushed the emergency brake with his left foot before turning the car off and snapping off his seatbelt. “Now, where was I?” he purred, advancing on Will. One hand was squeezing Will’s left leg as the other grabbed the far end of Will’s headrest so that he could pull himself closer to Will.

“Hannibal….”

“Will, I know you want me.” Hannibal let his hand travel to Will’s groin. He let his tongue dart out and lick his lips before placing hot, wet kisses on Will’s lips and chin. “Find the lever on the right side of your chair and press it until you’re down as far as you can go,” Hannibal directed. Will did as he was directed and Hannibal stepped over, finding the manual lever at the front of the passenger seat, pressing it and sliding the seat as far back as it could go. Will let his hips fall open and lifted his legs so that his feet could rest on Hannibal’s dashboard. “And here you acted so unexperienced! What a cunning boy you are, Will.”

Will let his tongue slip between Hannibal’s lips, his hands grabbing Hannibal’s hips, his torso bucking under Hannibal in excitement. “I want you – I want you to follow up on your promise, Hannibal. Suck me. Suck me until I’m dry. I need you. _I need you, Hannibal_.”

Hannibal used his teeth to remove his driving gloves before he worked on unbuckling Will’s belt and pants. “Lift your hips slightly and put your legs down so I can pull these off.” Hannibal yanked Will’s pants so that they hung down past his knees. Once those were out of the way, Hannibal pulled back so that he was pushed up against the dash. While Hannibal had several male lovers in his youth, none had worn boxer briefs. He looked down at Will’s erection straining through the fabric of his briefs. “These are getting in the way, Will, I’m taking them off.” Will raised his hips this time without being told, his cock springing up as it was freed from fabric. It wasn’t long until Hannibal had his mouth around Will’s cock while Will had pushed himself up toward the top of his seat, his head slightly overshooting the headrest. Overcome with sensation, Will shoved his shoulders down while his back arched, groaning as his hands buried themselves into Hannibal’s hair. Lecter’s hair was normally perfectly coifed but, at the moment, if Will suddenly pulled his fingers from Hannibal’s hair, Hannibal would resemble a cartoon woodpecker, or a well-dressed escapee from the Baltimore State Hospital for the Criminally Insane.

Hannibal crouched down to better manipulate Will’s penis, one hand stroking the base as his other hand grasped Will’s hip, his manicured nails digging into Will’s flesh. It was a pleasurable pain, reminding Will when he was a boy, following his father from one marina boat shop to another throughout the South. Will’s father knew well enough to know that there were too many unsavory characters around shipyards to leave Will to his own devices, so Will was stuck patiently sitting on a chair near his father’s workstation. He learned at an early age that he would get a painful yet delightful shock of pain when he licked a 9-volt battery. If you kept your tongue on the battery for too long, it could really hurt, but Will quickly learned how long he could hold the battery to his tongue before it would hurt too much. Hannibal was like the 9-volt of his youth. He could inflict pain, but Will was almost addicted to the pleasure Hannibal gave him. No woman had ever fellated him to perfection – only Hannibal could claim that honor.

Hannibal’s mouth left Will’s cock for one brief moment during which he popped a finger into his mouth before starting back where he’d left off. He stuck his lubricated finger into Will to stimulate his prostate. It didn’t take long before Will was screaming at the top of his lungs while his hips bucked wildly, causing Hannibal’s car to shake.

As Will came, he screamed out Hannibal’s name, one hand pulling out a few small tuffs of Hannibal’s hair. As Hannibal associated love with pain, his lips curled around Will’s cock as he smiled. Realizing what he’d done, Will started to apologize. “Hannibal, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to – ”

Hannibal raised himself up and crawled up over Will’s body so that his chest was touching Will’s. “Shh. Don’t apologize for giving all of yourself over to me in moment of passion. Just promise me that you won’t pluck me bald.” He placed a small kiss on Will’s nose as Will closed his eyes and smiled.

“You’re incredible.”

“Tell me again but use my name.”

“You’re incredible, _Hannibal_.” The air coming from Will’s words brushed against Hannibal’s lips, causing him to smirk.

“I love it when you say my name, Will.”

“And I love it when you suck my cock, but we probably ought to get back to the house.”

Hannibal chuckled as he moved back into the driver’s seat and started the car. “I am normally a stickler for seatbelts, but I’m making an exception this one time.”

Will was tickled by Hannibal’s remark. He was normally a stickler for rules, too, but sometimes rules were made to be broken. Will realized that before he got involved with Hannibal, before he got involved with the FBI, he would have never considered breaking the rules. He also didn’t lie before meeting Hannibal, but that had changed, too.

Will was dressed by the time the car was parked near the house. Hannibal followed Will, who trotted ahead to let the dogs out. They were good boys, but sometimes even good boys had accidents. Besides, Will figured that he could keep Hannibal with him longer if Hannibal didn’t inadvertently step in a puddle. Will himself hated when his socks found a wet spot on the floor whether it was rain, melting snow, or urine, but at least his socks were absorbent compared to Hannibal’s.

“I should have stopped by the deli, we only have one bottle of wine left,” Hannibal called out as he rummaged through the kitchen.

“I don’t think I can split another whole bottle with you otherwise I’ll end up under the table. Let’s stick with a bit of bourbon tonight,” Will suggested.

“As you wish.” Hannibal grabbed two rocks glasses and some ice before joining Will in the house’s odd front living area. He held a glass out to Will who took it and clinked the rim against Hannibal’s glass. “To another wonderful night.”

Will took a small sip before heading over to his well-worn couch. The dogs were allowed up on it so it was probably worse for wear, but Will thought that it had a perfectly broken in quality about it. “What do you usually do on Friday nights when you’re not entertaining?” Will asked.

_Oh, a bit of hunting, butchering, and sometimes sausage making_ , Hannibal thought to himself. “I usually spend a good portion of my weekend cooking, preparing dishes and ingredients for the week ahead. On Saturday night, I almost always find a public radio station that’s playing an opera. Baltimore’s station streams from John Hopkins, but sometimes I find another station and stream it with my phone.”

“Whoa, Hannibal! I didn’t know that a man who actively uses a Rolodex could be so high tech,” Will teased.

“When it comes to a good aria, there aren’t too many lengths to which I won’t go.”

Will snorted. “Now you _are_ starting to sound like Tobias Budge.”

“Please, do not mention him tonight, or any time in the foreseeable future at this rate. While my physical scars will heal up rather quickly, I am a bit apprehensive about how I will do overall.” Hannibal didn’t mean it, but he also wanted to divert Will’s attention to something else. Will’s mind drew parallels in incredible ways, and he could easily realize just how alike Tobias and Hannibal were if he really fixated on it. **Of course, that would be the end.** He would have to kill Will and he couldn’t do that; there was no way that Hannibal was ready to adopt nine dogs.

“I’m sorry. Come, sit with me, and we can put on some music.”

“What about the dogs?” Hannibal asked.

“They’ll probably hang outside for an hour yet. You might want to change though. They know that they’re allowed up on this couch and since they seem to like you, they’re likely to jump all over you.”

Hannibal smiled. “It’s no wonder you haven’t had any romantic company in quite some time. Your last girlfriend did not particularly care for dogs, did she? That is part of the reason why you have been content to be alone romantically, I would guess. It’s not worth getting involved and attached if a woman won’t tolerate your dogs.”

Will’s eyebrows were raised. He took a small sip of bourbon before he spoke. “Jesus, Hannibal, I hope you’re not charging by the hour for this.”

“I’ve never charged you. Besides, that deduction didn’t take long at all. Anyone who knows you would have to be blind not to realize how much your dogs mean to you, how much you love them. I’ve been here for two nights now. Last night, I shared the bed with you and Buster, and I figure I’ll be doing the same tonight.”

Will smiled and patted the couch cushion next to him. “Come over here and keep me warm!” Hannibal took a small taste of his bourbon and set it on a side table. Before going to Will, he put on a local public radio station; Vivaldi was playing. He let Will envelope him in his arms. “Mmm, this is nice,” Will purred, his face buried into the back of Hannibal’s neck. He was letting his lips touch Hannibal’s hair as he took in the scent of the other man’s distinctive shampoo. 

Hannibal smelled exotic, and Will remembered Hannibal telling him once that he used shampoo bars crafted by an artisan and shipped from Italy. He had to anticipate when he would run out at least a month beforehand so that he could allow enough time for delivery. It secretly amused Will when Hannibal told him because Will was a Dial bar soap and Pert Plus combined shampoo & conditioner type of guy. The only time he did anything fancy was when he put on some aftershave, but he really only did that because his aunt kept giving it to him for Christmas. Besides, Will already knew that Hannibal disapproved of his “cologne with the ship on the bottle” so he had taken to only using it on days he didn’t expect to see Hannibal.

The men lounged on the couch together, entwined as if they were longtime lovers, talking, sipping bourbon, and listening to music. To Hannibal, it was perfect. Even in its simplicity, it was perfect in that he could not be happier elsewhere. He had long ago convinced himself that he killed and consumed human flesh solely because he wanted to, not because he needed to (although a hard look at his psychological pathology would show otherwise). Hannibal didn’t need to kill or consume anyone tonight. He was occupied, he was satisfied, and he felt whole in a way he normally could not obtain on his own, doing things that were _not_ considered taboo by modern Western society.


	4. A Saturday Hike

On Saturday, after making breakfast for Will and as promised, Hannibal got ready to go hiking. Will had lent him an old coat that he used for ice fishing. “I know it’s going to be a bit tight around the arms, but I didn’t want you to ruin your nice jacket,” Will explained.

“I appreciate your thoughtfulness. As long as you don’t take me any place where I’ll need to raise my hands above my hips, I should be fine.” Will laughed at Hannibal’s reply.

“I didn’t realize it was that bad. I’m sorry, Hannibal, we’ll have to get you a proper jacket if we spend more time outdoors together!”

“I am generally not a fan of the outdoors, but maybe this hike will change my attitude.”

The men started off, leaving from Will’s backdoor after ensuring that all nine of Will’s dogs were with them. Will’s white German Shepherd, Hugo, had taken quite the liking to Hannibal and stayed by his side as Hannibal let Will lead the way. Thankfully, Hannibal had thought to pack a pair of casual shoes. They weren’t hiking boots or even tennis shoes, but they were better than nothing and certainly preferable than stomping around in his $800 Italian loafers.

After about a half hour, Hannibal was amused at how quiet the area was despite all of them trudging through it. The dogs often stopped at rocks and trees to sniff and leave their own scents. Hannibal was on the lookout for bear scat and was happily surprised to find nothing larger than deer feces. While finding fox and coyote tracks were not ideal, Hannibal was certain that between Will and the dogs, they were never in any danger. The men walked in relative silence for another half hour until Will looked back and held up his hand. They had been slowly walking upwards while going farther into the woods. “We’re not going any further. I think there might be a black bear den up there, and I was stupid enough to take us up this far without a rifle or any mace.”

“You’d mace a black bear?”

“Yeah,” Will wiped his brow with the back of his hand, “that’s pretty much what bear repellant is anyhow. ‘Gotta have some perks to working for the FBI besides being able to speed to a crime scene.”

“Did you speed to my house when you caught me coming out of the shower?” The men had turned around and were herding the dogs back down the way they had come.

“Yes, I did, actually. I told you that I was worried that you were in imminent danger.”

Hannibal smiled broadly. “And you rushed right in. I was right about you.”

“In which way?”

“In that you are the mongoose watching out that I want on my side in a fight.”

Will returned the smile. “I didn’t realize before what I realize now. I’ve been in love with you for months without knowing it.”

Hannibal paused. Will might not have realized the words that had come out of his mouth, but Hannibal was acutely aware of them. “You’re in love with me, Will?” he asked softly. “Are you quite certain about that?”

Will had blushed slightly before his face was taken over by a look of concentration. “Yes, I think so.”

“How will you know for certain?”

“I… I dunno. I just… I just said what came out of my mouth. I hadn’t really thought about what I would say, and I haven’t given any conscious thought about exactly how I feel about you, but now that I’ve said it, it feels true and right.”

“Do you often fall in love with people easily?” The men started walking down the hill again.

“No, I don’t. And I normally feel pressured when I’m with a woman. But for you, I suppose maybe it’s because we’ve known each other platonically for so long first. As you’ve said, we’ve been nakama. I mean, I’ve never considered myself anything other than 110% heterosexual. Jimmy Price at the office, he’s gay. Everyone knows it, but it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t affect how he does his job or how anyone treats him, or how he treats any of us. In fact, apparently when they were first paired up together and Zeller found out, Zeller asked Price if he had to be worried about Price hitting on him. After telling him that he wasn’t his type, Price said that he never dates coworkers. He was ‘too old to play those games and it was too messy in the end, even if it did work out alright.’

“If I’m going to be honest with myself and you, I haven’t been able to stop thinking of you since you saved that patient of Devon Silvestri’s. I just kept seeing your arms with your sleeves pushed up. At first, I thought it was fascination and admiration of your skill.

“I gathered up my courage one night and stopped by with a bottle of wine, but you were having that dinner party. I wanted you all to myself, although even then I still wasn’t sure why. I invited myself over, and after your food, brandy, and company, I had a feeling that I knew what I felt but I’d never felt like that toward a man before. I’d been determined to make a move on you, try to kiss you and see what you did in return, but I ended up wandering around, finding a couch, and falling asleep. That wasn't my plan, but it gave me more confidence to go after you last Thursday night, feeling you pressing yourself up against me when you helped me get the wine glasses down. How could I not want you after that? And by that point, I was fairly certain that you wanted me, too.”

Hannibal had stopped and gently grabbed Will’s forearm. He stepped forward, closing his eyes as he gently brought his lips to Will’s. They had been so amorous these last couple of days that Hannibal had been pushing through the pain, trying to ignore it. Most of what he did gave him a twinge of pain to remind him of Tobias Budge. However, if it took Budge’s attack to break down the final barrier between him and Will, then it was worth it. He would have gladly ended up in the ICU if it meant finally bringing Will to him fully and completely. He thought about giving the delayed response, “ _I’ve wanted you since the moment I met you_ ,” but Hannibal realized that Will might either laugh at Hannibal’s sentimentality or pull away from the power of his emotions. Instead, he decided to focus on Will’s last sentence. “I’m glad that my plan to seduce you worked, although I’m the first to admit that I was quite taken by surprise by your decisiveness once you got me up against your butcher’s block.”

“What can I say,” Will responded, starting to blush, “you make me act in ways that surprise even myself.”

“I can feed the caterpillar and I can whisper through the chrysalis, but I could never entirely predict you, and it excites me in a way I’ve never felt in my whole life. You excite me, you make me feel alive. You have made me appreciate a life with dogs, Will. You’re such a cunning boy.” Hannibal placed another kiss on top of Will’s nose before the two grabbed one another’s hand and walked back to Will’s house together.

~~~~

That night, Hannibal aided Will in making a grilled chicken salad with the spring mix they had bought. “You’re going to have me make salad dressing, isn’t that a bit overkill?” Will asked.

“Not at all. Freshly made dressing helps bring out the flavors of the greens. Why else did you think I insisted on buying balsamic vinegar and a whole head of garlic?”

Will sighed dramatically. “It’s you; I had no clue. You seemed to go crazy in there.”

“No. It was only a few supplies. And, I love making my own salad dressing using oil and vinegar. Besides, nothing can compare to fresh garlic.”

Will nodded. “You’re right about that. I thought I liked garlic, but you – there’s no wondering whether you’re secretly a vampire.”

“Does that mean you won’t let me bite you?” Hannibal asked with a twinkle in his eye.

“Now Hannibal, I _never_ said that. In fact, I might insist on it tonight.”

“Well, if you insist.”

~~~~

Hannibal made good on his promise to bite Will. His teeth pulled at Will’s lips; his teeth clamped over Will’s nipples until they stood erect; and his teeth grazed the sides of Will’s hard-on as he fellated him. In fact, Hannibal’s teeth sank into Will’s left buttock, leaving a bitemark that would last for days. Will would later slide his jockeys down and turn to look over his shoulder to relive the memory of Hannibal’s teeth on his skin.

But, as we all know, life is a series of give and take, tit for tat. Of course, knowing that Hannibal was still bruised, Will took the opportunity to undress him and place warm, gentle kisses all over his body – his neck, his clavicle, his chest, his groin, but Hannibal especially seemed to appreciate Will’s attention to his inner thighs and just _above_ his thighs.

Will was not accustomed to giving head, at least not when it came to men. Truth be told, Will _loved_ eating women out. Certainly, he would feel more comfortable being with Hannibal romantically if Hannibal were a woman, if Hannibal were a woman who was not also his psychiatrist, and if Hannibal were a woman with whom he hadn’t worked on grisly cases. Alas, you can’t control when or with whom you fall in love, so Will quickly learned how to open his mouth wide enough to accommodate Hannibal’s cock. Hannibal was a generous lover, but Will knew that he enjoyed being on the receiving end of things when it came to fellatio, and the giving end of things when it came to sodomy. With as good as Will felt getting fellated and sodomizing Hannibal, he couldn’t blame him. Besides, as he was sure Hannibal would agree, you only live once so you might as well enjoy yourself… and others.


	5. After the Hike

The men spend the rest of their weekend going on walks, cooking together, and making love. Both were experiencing the high we all feel when experiencing a new love, although both secretly wondered how long their affair could – or would – last. Will thought about it a bit and realized that if it went on long enough, he’d have to tell Jack because everyone at the Bureau would find out soon enough anyhow. Perhaps this would be their lost weekend, only whereas Lennon and Nilsson merely got drunk and made asses of themselves, Will and Hannibal would spend their time learning one another’s bodies and personal quirks in the way you only learn about someone when you cohabitate with them for a certain length of time.

Hannibal, on the other hand, spent a good portion of his post-coital time awake yet lying still, wondering how long he could possibly remain happy with Will and vice versa. Would he feel compelled to kill Will, perhaps eat Will? Would Will eventually feel compelled to kill or otherwise incapacitate him? What if he could convince Will to give up his pursuit of hunting killers for Jack Crawford in favor for only working in academia again? Perhaps Hannibal could close his practice and also become a professor? Certainly, he could return to John Hopkins and eventually get tenure. Then, if only they could figure out how to mesh their two worlds – would Will move with the dogs to Baltimore? Would Hannibal move in with Will and the dogs here in Wolf Trap? Perhaps they could find a place somewhat equidistant to share during the week and return to Will’s on the weekend when there wasn’t an opera or symphony playing in Baltimore. Or maybe they could get a place in Bowie, or Savage, Maryland. Savage boasted a historic mill, and the Wincopin Trails were an upgrade compared to the woods behind Will’s house, with running water and natural greenery. He wondered if he could convince Will to look at places in Maryland. After all, with Hannibal’s love of word play, Savage would be the perfect home for him, for them both. Perhaps after a week or two of commuting into Baltimore, growing closer physically and emotionally each night, Will might be amendable to the suggestion, especially if Hannibal suggested they drive up one Saturday with the some of the dogs to have a nice hike on the Wincopin Trails. Hannibal could even plan ahead and buy a proper coat and hiking boots. Maybe he could even buy a pair of jeans. Of course, he’d still buy them at one of his upscale clothiers – he had appearances to take into consideration, after all.

~~~~

Will was surprised when, on their Monday morning drive into Baltimore, Hannibal got a text from Jack. Hannibal’s car had Jack’s name flash on his dash screen, but since he was driving, it did not show the text. “Would you read it to me please, Will?” 

Will read the text for a moment before speaking. “Hannibal, Jack says he wants you to stop by today. He didn’t say what it’s about, but I know we’ve had some interesting tips and leads on older cases, so maybe he wants to run some profiles past you.”

“Thank you for letting me know, I appreciate it. To be clear, however, please know that I do not expect you to be my personal secretary. My last secretary followed her heart and left me to my own devices, but I figured since the text was from Jack that it was time-sensitive.”

“You um, you might as well park in the back lot. You can come in with me,” Will suggested.

“You sound sheepish, Will. Are you still nervous about one of your coworkers learning that we’ve been driving in together, or do you realize how much you have overblown the situation in your head?”

“Um, the second one. Sorry. Like you, I’m a pretty private individual, at least usually. Since working with Jack and the team, I feel like I’ve got a microscope on me whereas when I was just teaching, I blended in more. I was just another professor, albeit one that didn’t like eye contact.”

“I understand. Thank you, Will. Now, let’s go in and I’ll find Jack. I’ll plan to pick you up out front at 5:30 unless you text me otherwise.”

“Hannibal,” Will put a hand on Hannibal’s wrist, “just pick me up back here. It’s okay, I’m sure everyone will figure out that we’ve been carpooling together once they see us walk in together this morning. As long as we don’t start making out in the car, we should be fine.” Will hadn’t remembered that Jack announced to practically everyone that Hannibal could return to his home last Friday.

“I would be fine with that, but I understand your point,” Hannibal responded, smirking.

“Thank you, now we might as well go in,” Will remarked as the men got out of Hannibal’s car. They walked into the employee-only entrance of the Baltimore Maryland Field Office together as if they were merely two coworkers. The first people they ran into were Beverly Katz and Jimmy Price who were on their way to grab some coffee.

“Hi guys, what brings you both in?” Beverly asked.

“Jack said that he wanted to meet up and talk with Hannibal today,” Will explained. “Have either of you seen him yet?”

“Not yet, but he texted Zeller just a couple of minutes ago and said he was running late. Something unexpected. I think it has to do with his wife,” Price offered.

“‘Hope she’s okay,” Beverly commented.

“I echo your sentiment, Ms. Katz. Bella is a remarkable woman.” All eyes turned to Hannibal. “Perhaps I should go find a local café or bookshop and you could tell Jack that I’m in the area when he wants to talk, if he still wants to talk today.”

“I’ll give you a call when Jack’s back, Hannibal. Let me know when you arrive and I can meet you in the back and buzz you in,” Will offered.

“That sounds like an excellent idea. Thank you, Will.” Hannibal turned to Beverly and Jimmy. “Ms. Katz, Mr. Price, it’s always a pleasure to see you. Until next time, take care and enjoy your coffee.” Hannibal turned and left. The others were impressed with Hannibal’s manners – always intact, always perfect.

~~~~

Beverly Katz ended up being the first of the team to run into Jack Crawford when he walked in around 11 AM, looking like shit. “Jack, are you okay?”

“Hi Bev. I’m okay, but Bella… she’s having a bad day. After she had a bad night, and a bad weekend. I felt like I spent half my weekend giving her morphine.”

Beverly let a hand go out to touch Jack’s arm in a gesture of sympathy. “Oh Jack, I’m so sorry.”

“So am I, Bev. So am I.” Jack nodded his head back and forth in a mixture of sadness and exhaustion.

“Jack, why are you here? Why not just go home and be with your wife?”

“Because we’ve got so much work and I finally got her to sleep. Someone from hospice stopped by and will stay with her until I get back home but I felt like I at least needed to work for a few hours, set my away message, pack up some files to review at home. That reminds me, have I missed anything?”

“Only Hannibal Lecter – he came in looking for you. He left when he found out you weren’t in yet, but he’s still around town.”

“Shit, thanks, Bev.” Jack nodded and returned the touch on her arm as a gesture of appreciation but also as a subconscious way of saying “ _get out of my way; I’ve got important Jack Crawford shit to do_ ”.

Jack made it into his office without running into anyone else. Once inside, he closed his office door and called Hannibal Lecter’s cell phone from his office line. “Hannibal, it’s me, Jack. I meant to be here when you first showed up, but Bella’s taken a turn for the worse. I’d wanted to talk to you about Tobias Budge though. Look, I haven’t even had coffee yet, you want to meet me somewhere for an early lunch? I could meet you at 1137 Seafood or the Windsor Inn Crab House.”

Hannibal was unaware of those restaurants, but they both sounded cliché. “I normally don’t eat out much, so why don’t you choose what you’d prefer.”

“Let’s go with 1137 then,” Jack replied.

“Would 11:45 work?”

“That’s perfect. I’ll see you then. Thanks, Hannibal.”

Jack got the messages off of his voicemail and then opened up his mail until he had to leave to meet Hannibal. When he arrived at 1137 Seafood, he saw that Hannibal had already secured them a table. “Hannibal, thanks for meeting me. I know this isn’t your usual type of place, but it’s fast, near the office, and it’s a great place to get your soul food fix, if you’re into that sort of thing.”

Hannibal had rose to greet Jack and shake his hand. “I’m normally into a different type of soul food, but I will follow your lead. I was sorry to hear that Bella’s unwell, and I can’t help but wondering why you’re here and not at home with your wife.”

The men sat down. “You’re the second person today to say that, but you’re part of why I came in at all.”

A waitress came by and took their orders. Both Jack and Hannibal ordered coffee with their meal. After the waitress left, Hannibal followed up on Jack’s last comment. “On the phone, you mentioned Tobias Budge. What is it that is so time-sensitive to deprive you of time with your wife, Jack?” Of course, Hannibal knew that Jack was tenacious. In fact, that’s why tormenting him with the kills of the Chesapeake Ripper was so fun.

“Well, I know that you’re aware that there were no other co-conspirators in Tobias Budge’s murder spree, but I thought that you’d be interested to know that he’d been using humans instead of cats for his gut strings. And, you were right about your patient, Franklyn. One of our guys found a diary that he’d been keeping where he talked about being in love with Budge and starting a physical relationship with him. Oddly enough, what you might not be aware of is that Franklyn had a will in which he divided his estate between his sister’s three daughters and you. You and his nieces all stand to get a fourth of his estate once it’s been settled. And, I'm not sure how much you knew about your patient, but he was a trust fund baby who also held down a high-paying job.”

Hannibal had tilted his head at Jack’s mention that Budge had worked alone, and his head stayed that way until Jack was done speaking. Jack was unaware that several of Lecter’s patients felt compelled to include him in their wills. Those patients also tended to meet unexpected, violent ends, although those were not of Hannibal’s direct doing.

“Jack, does this mean that I’ll be able to go back to my home and office soon?”

Jack had finished his coffee and asked their attentive waitress for a glass of sweet tea. “Hannibal, aren’t you already back at home? I told Will on Friday that it was safe. I just came in today to pack some things up, grab my messages, and let you know about the will bequest thing. Granted, to me it seems odd on the surface, but after seeing that man’s diary, I’m thinking he saw you as some sort of combination father figure and potential friend come boyfriend.”

“Of course I’ve been in Maryland, I’ve just been anxious about any other potential co-conspirator,” Hannibal lied, “And to be honest, Jack, I’m surprised by your news. You have to remember, I’m not used to patients or lovers of my patients trying to murder me. I’m not acquainted with death the way you are.” _Technically, that was true…. Hannibal viewed Death as an old friend with whom he enjoyed collaborating._

The men finished their meal and Jack thanked Hannibal for meeting him. “You didn’t have to pick up the tab, but it was a kind thing to do. One of these days, you’ll have to let me treat you.”

“Jack, I consider you my friend, and I’ve grown rather fond of Bella. She is a remarkable woman whose surface beauty is only eclipsed by her inner beauty, determination, and intelligence. If feeding you occasionally helps bring a bit of light to your life while you deal with Bella, the Chesapeake Ripper, and the Tobias Budges of the world, then I’m happy to help.” _Hannibal couldn’t help pushing the knife in **just** **a bit** …._

“Well, I only really care about the United States. The rest of the world can fend for themselves. After all, despite all my time in Italy, I never did pick up enough of the language to live there comfortably.”

Hannibal smiled. “Then remind me to never move abroad while you’re in charge over here.” He shook Jack’s hand as they said goodbye. “Do give Bella my love, and please do not hesitate to call if you need a doctor over the weekend.”

Jack understood Hannibal’s meaning and grimaced in thanks.


	6. Gay Bar

Will had texted Hannibal that he was going to be a little later than expected, causing Hannibal to arrive at the back entrance of the building for a six o’clock pickup. “Hey Hannibal, I know you normally cook at home during the week, but there’s a place nearby that has great burgers and I’ve been jonesing for one. It’s here in Baltimore. Jimmy Price had us all meet him there for his birthday last year and I really liked it.”

“I’ve already eaten at one local establishment today, Will. Maybe tomorrow?”

“Why don’t we go tonight, and I’ll go shopping with you here in Baltimore tomorrow so that we can have enough groceries for the week ahead?” Will suggested.

Hannibal pursed his lips. “Lead the way then and I’ll follow your directions.”

Will gave Hannibal directions and soon enough they were at a cozy bar. They walked in and were greeted with a smile before being shown to a wall booth upholstered in leather with a chair opposite the booth. A waiter came up to them, introduced himself as Alvin, welcomed them to the Rowan Tree, and asked if they were familiar with it.

“I am, but he’s not,” Will explained, gesturing across the table to where Hannibal sat on a chair.

Alvin took in the appearance of the older man sitting with his legs crossed. A smile blossomed on his face. “Well, hello there, mister. What sorts of things tickle your fancy?”

Hannibal smiled. “Do you have Eagle Rare 10?”

“Ooh, you’re fancy. Let me check with Gary, our bartender, and I’ll be back in a snap.”

Hannibal looked around, taking in his surroundings. “Will, have you come here often?”

“No, not really. Why?”

“I ask because you told me that you’d never been with a man before me, yet you clearly took me to a gay bar.”

Will practically jumped out of his seat. “What? Are you sure? The night we went here there was football on TV and most of the people here were sporting flannels and beards. It looked like a lumberjack convention!”

“Will, you said Jimmy Price took you here?”

“Yeah, he said it was his favorite bar in Baltimore because it had a great selection of meat. Oh Jesus, when I say it out loud it’s as clear as day. No wonder Jack left after one beer.” Will started to laugh. “Bev stayed after Jack and I had left, and she said she sang karaoke until midnight. How she came into work the next morning, bright-eyed and bushy tailed was beyond me, but she’s always been the most gregarious one on Jack’s team.” They laughed together.

“It sounds as if we might run into Jimmy here tonight if we’re not careful. Are you sure you’re comfortable with that, Will?”

Will paused. “Yeah, why not? After all, you’re staying at my place for your own personal safety.”

“Speaking of my own personal safety, Will, I met with Jack today, and it wasn’t to go over old profiles as you’d predicted. In fact, imagine my surprise when I found out that I could have been back in my own bed as soon as Friday night.”

Will sighed deeply before running his hands through his hair, pushing his head back. He would have been staring at the ceiling if his eyes had been open. Alvin was starting to approach them when Hannibal made eye contact with him and shook his head while holding up one finger. The waiter nodded and backed away. 

Hannibal looked at Will. “You know that no relationship can succeed built on lies, especially not this early on.”

“I just… after the night we had, I wasn’t ready to let you leave. It’s nice to have someone besides the dogs to wake up to and go to bed with…. Hannibal, I don’t suppose you’d ever consider moving in with me?”

“We’ve already discussed this on your commute, Will. My practice is in Baltimore, and my home is conveniently nearby.”

“I love the country – all the space and privacy that I have.”

“I have space and privacy in Baltimore.” _If only Will knew!_

Will frowned. “But I can’t see myself living there, and I can’t see the dogs running around your pristine house.”

“Indeed.” Hannibal recrossed his legs and leaned back. “And while you may not wish to admit it, I believe that who you are and what you do require you to have solitary space, open fields, and plenty of dogs. It’s the essence of who you are, and what attracted me to you on the first day I ever met you, and I wouldn’t want to sacrifice that for the mere convenience of cohabitating with you.” _Also, it was much harder to murder people and turn them into cuts of meat with an FBI agent living in his house, regardless of how infatuated Hannibal was with Will._

Will closed his eyes, this time trying to think without crying. “I, um, need to go to the bathroom. Order me a Fat Tire. Draft if they have it, otherwise I’ll take a bottle.” Before Hannibal had a chance to say anything, Will got up and practically jogged to the men’s room.

Alvin came back, approaching trepidatiously. “Bad time?”

“On the contrary, we at least know what we’d like to drink, and are ready for some menus. Did you find out about that Eagle Rare?”

“Yes! And yes, we’re got your 10-year, dear.”

Hannibal smiled broadly. “Wonderful, I’ll take a double on the rocks, and he would like a Fat Tire on draft, if you have it.”

“Are you thinking a 16- or 24-ounce for your friend?”

Hannibal looked towards the bathroom. “He’s had a rough day. Let’s go for a 24, and a couple of waters too, if you could.”

Alvin smiled sympathetically. “He’s lucky to have such a good friend.”

Hannibal returned the smile and winked. “Thank you. We are much closer than mere friends though.” 

The bartender was working on another order, but their drinks would be next, and Will returned just as Alvin was bringing their waters. The redness around his eyes made it obvious that he had broken down and started crying. In keeping with the American tradition of pretending to ignore an obvious breakdown instead of addressing it, Will thanked Alvin and took a menu from him. “I was looking forward to a burger, but do you guys have any dinner specials today?”

Alvin exchanged a quick glance with Hannibal before responding. “Tonight we have a shrimp scampi with a dinner salad. You can get a garden or a Caesar, and it comes with our homemade garlic bread.”

Hannibal spoke up first. “That sounds lovely. I think I’ll have that and hold out hopes that I won’t end up with garlic breath. I don’t want to ruin my chances of having company tonight.” Hannibal had been looking directly at Will, using his words to tell Will that he still planned on going home with him.

“Well, if he won’t take you home, honey, I will,” Alvin replied flirtatiously, winking. He enjoyed flirting with the handsome men that came in, especially since it usually resulted in a better tip.

“Stay the fuck away from him!” Will shot up, shook the waiter by the lapels of his shirt, and shoved him back, causing him to trip and fall backward.

“What the fuck is going on?” Gary, the bartender, yelled out, rushing over to help his coworker up.

“Will,” Hannibal warned, his hand out to steady and calm Will.

“No, no Hannibal. It’s not okay. Fuck this. If I wanted to watch some man undressing you with his eyes….”

“Listen buddy, you came to a fucking gay bar. Why come here if you don’t want a good time?” Alvin spoke up.

“I just wanted a burger with my….”

Alvin laughed sardonically. “With your what, _friend_? Please, if you’re not going to be honest then you don’t deserve to be happy.” He turned to Hannibal and held out a slip of paper. “If you want a good time with a man who won’t hate himself in the morning, give me a call.” 

Hannibal looked at the men cautiously, keeping one eye on Will. Will moved to strike Alvin again. The paper fluttered out of Alvin’s hand just before Hannibal stood up and stepped between them. “Will, I think it’s time to leave. Take my keys, get the car started, and I’ll clear out our tab.” Will scowled at the bartender and waiter before storming off and out of the Rowan Tree with Hannibal’s keys.

Hannibal took Alvin’s hand. “I apologize for his rash behavior. You’re quite right about him, but he only just realized his feelings for me when I was attacked. If you look at my face, you can still see evidence from where I was brutalized.”

Alvin frowned. “For fuck’s sake, silly little boy. I hope he realizes how great you are.”

“He does, that is why he became so jealous. I believe the realization that he could have lost me forever has scared him, and he’s still adjusting. Regardless, I apologize again for his rashness. In fact, if you heard about the recent orchestra murderer, that was the man who attempted to take my life last week. If not for him,” Hannibal gestured towards the door, “I might not be around right now, so on behalf of both of us, I appreciate your grace and understanding. He really is quite docile most of the time.”

“Holy shit! I’m sorry! He was a dick but I _did_ hear about that lunatic – no wonder your guy was so pissy. Try to have a good night, and know that you’re welcome back to have dinner any time, _you_ especially.”

Hannibal kept one hand on Alvin’s while his other hand reached out to the bartender. “Thank you both.” When the men retracted their hands from Hannibal’s, they found that he had given them each a one-hundred-dollar bill. Hannibal winked at Alvin before turning away and exiting the bar to meet back up with Will outside.

Will was standing outside of Hannibal’s Bentley, his back against the passenger door as he stared into the parking lot moodily. “Is this what I have to look forward to from now on if we’re to continue this, Will, or is this you not knowing how to cope with your emotions?”

“I just… I finally opened myself up to someone again and I’ve managed to fuck it up yet **again** , but in record time this time.” He took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. “I hadn’t meant to lie or withhold the truth from you, but I figured it’d take at least until Wednesday to get everything figured out. Then again, I was with you and didn’t realize how much manpower Jack put on it, in part because he considers you to be one of his own since you help us out so much on cases. He prioritized it for you so you could get back to your home, and also for me because he probably figured that after a day or two together, you’d drive me crazy. Then add in my frustration in wondering how I can cohabitate with you when you want to live in Baltimore and I want to live in Wolf Trap. The actual part of living with you, the thing that I thought would be difficult, is what’s been easiest so far. Shit, Hannibal, I didn’t think in a thousand years that I’d be in a relationship any time soon, let alone with… you. I mean, you’ve got to realize I’d never so much as looked at a man and found him attractive, but then I met you and I got to know you, and now seeing some silly waiter hitting on you is enough to make me snap.”

Hannibal put his hands on Will’s arms. “I think that your outburst back there was just a matter of too much all at once, Will. However, while you were at work, I was doing some researching – _and shopping_ – and I think I have a plan for us. I was going to wait until after we took the dogs on a day trip to a nature trail, but I found a city approximately halfway between here and Wolf Trap. I was thinking that we could find a nice home that we could stay at together with the boys.”

A hint of a smile appeared on Will’s face as he looked up at Hannibal. “Are you kidding me?”

“I’ve got a pair of jeans and a pair of hiking boots in the car. I’ve looked up the trail online, and it sounds like the perfect place for the dogs. I don’t want to lose you, but I can’t give up my home. It’s tailored to my particular interests, as your home is suited for you and your pack. However, I don’t see why we can’t come together during the week and perhaps split our weekends between Wolf Trap and Savage, and occasionally Baltimore.”

“Savage?”

“Yes, that’s where I’m hoping I can convince you to live with me, at least part-time. After all, if anything like what happened with Tobias Budge happens to either of us in the future, we’ll have a comfortable place to stay ready to go that will be a blend of your world and mine.”

Will shook his head, smirking. “Hannibal….” He pushed his body towards Hannibal so that their lips met.

“Yes? I take it that you’re amenable to my suggestion?”

“Amenable? Yes! It’s perfect, and the fact that you found a park where we can take the dogs… Hannibal, I just can’t tell you how much that means to me.”

“Why don’t I take you back to Wolf Trap and you can show me?”


	7. Back to the Deli and Back Home

Hannibal was happy to leave the bar as he was certain that despite his tip, they were being watched and that the sooner they left, the sooner they could be a distant memory. He was fairly certain that the police wouldn’t be called as he had used his finesse (and cash) to diffuse the situation. Of course, finding out that Will was in the FBI would help guide any officer on duty to downplay the situation, but he knew that Will was fragile enough without being outed.

It took about an hour to get back to Will’s from Baltimore, and by that time Hannibal had Will laughing and acting like his normal self. Explaining that he’d already thought of a way for them to share in each other’s world while still maintaining their own lives had cheered Will up immensely. On their way to Wolf Trap, however, Will suggested that they stop for a few bottles of wine and some of The Italian Gourmet’s prepackaged meals since neither of them had eaten yet.

“That’s a wonderful idea, Will. And this time I promise not to purchase half of the store.”

Will laughed. “Yeah, that was a bit shocking. No one can say that you don’t have good taste though.”

The men walked in together and Will directed Hannibal toward the cooler. “Hannibal, look! They have pasta roma, spicy chicken penne, penne alla vodka, lasagna!” Will omitted listing the macaroni and cheese as he couldn’t imagine Hannibal ever willingly eating mac and cheese. “I love Italian sausage. We could get some pasta roma, and while that is heating, we could make up some garlic bread.”

Hannibal’s eyebrows shot up as they normally did when he was seriously contemplating another’s suggestion. “If we do that, I could pick up a nice chianti or merlot.”

Will smiled widely. “That sounds like dinner then! I’ll grab us some pasta and bread, and I’ll let you pick out the wine. Let’s meet back up at the registers.”

As Will walked up to registers, Veronica, the woman who had helped them before, ushered him over. “Well, hi there, it’s good to see you back already!”

“Oh, were you the woman who helped us before?”

“That’s me! I’m good at remembering folk – we have a fairly good group of regulars, and I hadn’t recalled seeing you before last week.”

“I’ve come here before, but not since my last girlfriend.”

“Girlfriend? Oh, I thought you were….”

Yet again, Hannibal approached them before the cashier had enough of a chance to pry into Will’s love life. “Ah, Veronica. We meet again.”

“Oh, hi there,” the cashier smiled politely, her voice losing its flirtatious undertone. She remembered the large bill the men had racked up claiming to be only buying essentials for a day. “I’m surprised that you remembered my name.”

“It’s right there on your name tag,” Hannibal smiled. “Besides, you were kind enough to provide me with one of your business cards.”

“That’s right.” _And that was odd_ , Veronica thought, unaware of Hannibal’s unusual Rolodex. “Well, just this tonight for you gentlemen?” Will had picked up two containers of pasta and a baguette, and Hannibal had decided on a chianti, a merlot, a pinot noir, and another stick of salami.

“I think this will do for tonight,” Hannibal responded.

Will looked at Hannibal, shaking his head while a grin spread across his face. “Hannibal, _more_ salami?”

Veronica had started to wonder whether the men were using it as a sex toy since they’d just bought a long stick of salami when they were in less than a week ago.

“The dogs seem to favor it, and I want to have some available in case we get out to the park this weekend. Maybe we could have another picnic like we did the other day?” Hannibal raised his eyebrows suggestively at Will who immediately started blushing.

“Ah yeah, let’s get the salami.” Will turned away as he tried to regain his composure. Veronica rang up their groceries and this time the bill came to just under $120. Will turned to look at Hannibal. “Let me get it this time.”

“Not at all.”

“Hannibal, you got it last time, and I’m the reason we’re eating at home tonight.”

“I prefer it this way. Besides, I think you already promised to make today up to me later tonight, if I recall.” Yet again, Hannibal smiled and winked at Veronica who now pegged the shorter, wiry man as being bisexual instead of gay. Maybe if he and the one with good taste ever broke up, she could have a chance with him after all. She remembered that he said that he was a “stay at home with his dogs and some whiskey” kind of guy, and that was **exactly** her type of guy, conveniently enough.

“Thank you, gentlemen,” Veronica spoke after Hannibal had paid, “I hope to see you again soon.”

“You will assuredly see me again, Veronica. Thank you for your assistance tonight,” Hannibal replied before walking out with Will, who had their brown paper grocery bag in his hands.

For being older and appearing to be an uptight, highbrow kind of guy, Veronica was impressed by the man’s impeccable manners. She would remember that about him even as she ran into him in a deserted parking lot several weeks later. Her car wouldn’t start, and he had walked up and offered to assist her. She would recognize him from his trips into the store, and that would be her last conscious thought before he reached out from behind her with a rag doused in sevoflurane, a powerful ether.

Approximately a month after Hannibal and Will’s last joint interaction with Veronica, Hannibal and Will would attempt to go to The Italian Gourmet one Saturday morning but would see a note taped to the door. The note apologized for the closure but stated that the store had lost a valued employee. The store was closed so that Veronica Brummel’s work family could attend her funeral and honor her properly. As Will read the note aloud, Hannibal tilted his head in faux surprise, looking stoic at such news, something that Will had grown accustomed to by that point. “Veronica Brummel, doesn’t that name sound familiar?” Will asked.

Hannibal frowned. “Brummel? No, I don’t think so. Perhaps her death made the news. I know that there was a woman who died in a car crash in McLean, northeast of here.”

“No, that’s not it,” Will replied.

“All life must end, but we’ll have to find another place to pick up our provisions for today, it appears.”

Will sighed. He had also grown used to Hannibal’s oddly philosophical statements. “We’d better. You’ve got jonesing for a good cabernet with dinner tonight, and we drank up everything we bought last time.”

~~~~

After dinner, Hannibal cleared their plates. The dogs were still outside. He had cut up half of the salami and threw it outside, scattering pieces in the grass at the back of Will’s house. It amused Will, but Will asked him why he scattered the pieces around so much.

“Because we must allow your dogs to commune with their wolf ancestry. They are hunters, Will. They want to stalk and dominate their dinner, even if they appreciate the large, stainless steel bowls you use.”

“So, you’ve just trying to help my dogs discover their true nature, just like you helped me discover my true nature and realize that I love it when you suck my cock, and when you come inside of me?”

“Precisely.” Hannibal’s lips formed into a devious smile. “Speaking of which, I believe assurances were made for tonight, and I’m starting to get hard just thinking of you fellating me.” Hannibal finished washing his hands and began to undo the buttons of his shirt.

Will returned Hannibal’s grin as his hands went to his pants to undo his belt, button, and zipper. He walked out of the garment after it made its descent to the floor. “You drive me crazy,” Will admitted between kissing Hannibal. “I’ve never been the jealous type before.”

“You’ve neve been with someone like me before,” Hannibal stated matter-of-factly before slipping his tongue into Will’s mouth. The men spent several minutes this way, their hands running over one another’s bodies. Will lead Hannibal over to his butcher block once more, gently pushing Hannibal against it so that he was leaning up against the furniture. Will pulled his lips back, making a smacking noise as his lips broke their seal with Hannibal’s. Grinning widely, Will looked up at Hannibal as he crouched down and unbuckled Hannibal’s pants to free the other man’s cock. Licking his lips, Will took Hannibal’s cock into his mouth, letting his tongue swirl around Hannibal’s member to lubricate it. Hannibal displayed his pleasure by letting his head fall back and running his hands through Will’s hair. While he loved it when Will trimmed up, he couldn’t deny his fascination with Will’s curls. Hannibal’s own hair was straight and appeared lighter or darker depending on the light, how recently he’d been in the sun, and how he styled it. Not Will though – he was always distinctly brunette, his locks the color of dark chocolate. After the blue of Will’s eyes, that color of brown was Hannibal’s favorite color.

Will let his hands reach around to grab Hannibal’s ass. He loved Hannibal’s ass. It was firm, and – unlike so many other men’s asses Hannibal’s age – pleasantly round. It was distinct and wonderful, especially how it felt in Will’s hands. Hannibal took great pains to exfoliate and moisturize his skin. His arms, his legs, his ass. Everything. _Well, almost everything_ – _no one wants to swallow lotion._ Will didn’t know it yet, but when he reached around to grab Hannibal, it brought Hannibal up a level, one step closer to coming. When he felt Hannibal start to harden in his body’s anticipation to come, Will pulled his mouth away. “Nah ah ah,” Will sang as he wagged a finger at Hannibal, standing up. “Not yet. You’ve got to fill my ass first.”

Hannibal grinned broadly. “Will, you naughty boy!” Will grabbed him by one hand and began to lead him upstairs.

Once the men were in Will Graham’s bedroom, they both finished undressing. They moved over to the bed, standing in front of it as Hannibal moved to place his hands on either side of Will’s face. “I see so much in your face. Your eyes, your lips. I see your fears, your potential. I could live a thousand lifetimes and I would still be entranced by your beauty.” Will blushed in response as Hannibal moved to kiss him, letting one hand travel down to grab Will’s penis as he began manipulating it. Will let out a low groan as he began to grow from Hannibal’s touch.

Hannibal let his teeth pull at Will’s lower lip before motioning for Will to get on the bed. Will sat up as he held out his arms to welcome Hannibal. Hannibal lowered his body atop of Will’s, both enjoying the warm emanating from their combined body heat. Will found an ear lobe to suck on before whispering to Hannibal, “ _I want you inside of me_.”

After their first night together, Hannibal made sure to keep a small bottle of his beloved extra virgin olive oil in Will’s nightstand to use as lubricant. Hannibal squeezed a generous amount of the oil into his hand before starting to lubricate his penis. He leaned down to kiss Will, a slight smile on his face. 

Many people found Lecter to be stoic or appear disinterested most of the time, but that was only because Hannibal had previously only allowed his face to show emotion when he was alone. Now, he often let Will see his emotions, although this usually only occurred when they were alone save Will’s dogs.

“Lay on your side,” Hannibal instructed, his lips brushing against Will’s. Will did as he was told, his head resting against a pillow. “Now, I’m going to ask you to lift up your leg; let me know if I’m hurting you.” Will lifted his free leg as Hannibal reached down to use some of the olive oil still on his fingertips to lubricate Will’s ass. He used his other hand to guide his cock into Will, feeling Will tense slightly. Hannibal slowly eased himself into Will, who hissed softly until he adjusted to Hannibal’s length and girth. After Will unclenched, Hannibal began to slowly, gently slide himself in and out of Will. Letting his hand move past Will’s hip, Hannibal’s hand found his partner’s cock. The remaining olive oil helped Hannibal as he jerked Will off. He moved faster and deeper into Will as his hand grasped tighter and moved faster as was Will’s preference.

“ _God! Yes, Hannibal, yes!_ ” Will cried out. “ **Please… yes!** ” Will’s hand found Hannibal’s and squeezed it as Hannibal kept stroking him. Hannibal leaned his head forward to bite Will’s ear. The combination of pain and pleasure brought Will close to orgasm. “Hannibal, I’m getting close. **Fuck!** ” Normally, Hannibal was able to control his bodily actions with a high degree of success, but feeling Will come, his seed spilling out over their hands erased the last of his resolve. When Will came, his ass clenched, enveloping Hannibal’s cock tighter than before, causing Hannibal to last less than a minute before he came inside of Will, grunting in ecstasy.

Hannibal slipped out of Will’s ass as he laid back next to him, and Will moved over slightly to give Hannibal room on the bed. Hannibal intertwined his unoiled hand into Will’s before bringing it to his lips so he could kiss the back of Will’s hand.

“Hannibal, about today, I….”

“ _Shhh_ ,” Hannibal kissed his hand again. “It doesn’t matter anymore; it’s in the past.”

“No, listen – I want to. I want to go to that Savage place with you. Let’s check it out. I think finding a place, finding one together… probably not an apartment, but maybe a nice house with a large yard. We’d need a fence for the dogs, but if we were close enough to a park, it shouldn’t really matter how large the yard was, we could go with a smaller yard.”

Hannibal leaned over to place a kiss onto Will’s forehead. “Why don’t we take the younger dogs to Wincopin Trails this weekend? We can see how they like it, take a drive around the area. If it seems to suit us, I can call a real estate agent on Monday.”

“Do you plan on going back tomorrow?” Will asked, turning so he could lay on his side and look at Hannibal.

“I was uncertain on how our cohabitation would work. I figured that if this happened, it would go well so long as you didn’t insist on eating McDonald’s while not realizing my innate attractiveness.”

Will laughed. “Your innate attractiveness?”

“Yes. You and me, we’re unique. We are both alone without the other, but together we are more complete than we’ve ever been.”

Will’s brow furrowed. “That’s… oddly romantic.”

“I have always been a true romantic. I cook gourmet meals, I drink fine wine, I listen to operas and symphonies. Will, I have bought your dogs sausage twice now, and it hasn’t even been a week.”

Will brought Hannibal’s hand to his lips and kissed it. “That’s true, all of it.” Will kissed Hannibal’s hand again. “And all that music you put on, all of that was about love, wasn’t it? The… the Wagner?”

“Yes. Tristan and Isolde.”

“The food, the wine, the liquor – all of it was to seduce me, wasn’t it?” Will asked.

“No. I feed all of my guests well, and I always provide spirits. Besides, if you’ll recall, you seemed to be drinking like a fish out of water in an attempt to work up the courage to make the first move.”

Will blushed. “You’re not wrong there. I was too damned shy and confused when I came by after your dinner party, but I don’t know… seeing you just out of the shower…. Replaying the sight of you saving that man. Thinking about how you always kept your calendar open to accommodate me… it’s hard not to fall in love with that. I think I fell in love with your actions before I paid attention to the rest of you. You’re the opposite of me in so many ways, yet it’s like you said, we’re both alone without each other, and in certain ways, our uniqueness makes us alike. When I feel like the world views me as an outsider and distrusts my unique abilities, I can still rely on you to give me warmth and treat me like a friend.”

“And all lasting romances involve those who love one another intimately, as soulmates, as nakama,” Hannibal added.

“I love you, Hannibal.” Will leaned in to stroke Hannibal’s hair before kissing him. “I know that you’ll be more comfortable in your own home with your full compliment of clothes and kitchen equipment, so drive me into work tomorrow, I can get my car, and we can plan on spending the weekend together.” Will paused as he realized that he could have been driving his own car around even after Hannibal had dropped him off today. Hell, even with keeping the truth from Hannibal, there was no reason that he couldn’t have driven home in his own car on Friday night! Instead, they got to spend more time together by carpooling. “We can plan on spending the weekend together. Hopefully by next week, you’ll have found a few places for us to look at. Once we find one we like, we can buy it and move what we need there. It might take a while, but eventually we can figure out a routine of when to be where barring when I’m away on a case.”

“It sounds as if you’ve managed to think of everything,” Hannibal mused. “However, there is no need for you to buy a house with me. I’m perfectly fine buying it and signing a quit claim deed to give it to both of us. I can adjust my trust documents accordingly, too.” In fact, from what he knew about Franklyn, the trust fund worrywart, just his quarter of Franklyn’s estate would likely cover most – if not all – of the cost of their new, shared home.

Will shook his head in surprise. “You have a trust? I don’t even have a will!” He laughed. “Who am I kidding, you seem to have a plan for everything, of course you have a trust.”

“I am a wealthy man, Will. Not only am I a successful psychiatrist, but I am royalty. My parents owned an estate in Lithuania. I grew up in a castle.”

Will’s face showed confusion. “If you grew up in a castle, why did you end up in Baltimore, Maryland instead of returning to Lithuania after medical school?”

“One day you may learn my darkest secrets, but today is not that day. I will say that had I not been forced to flee my ancestral home, I would have likely died many years ago. In fact, part of me _did_ die many years ago, when I lost my family.”

Will asked no more questions. Instead, he moved to hold Hannibal in his arms, his lips touching Hannibal’s neck. The person Hannibal showed the world was much less complicated than the one he showed Will, but he was slowly showing himself to his nakama. 

**~~~FIN... POUR MAINTENANT!~~~**   
  



End file.
